---
name: "Desmond Dickinson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/desmond-dickinson"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "25 May 1902"
died: "1 March 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T01:50:43.197660+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Desmond Dickinson

Cinematographer. Born 25 May 1902 in Norbiton, Surrey, England, UK. Died 1 March 1986.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 25 May 1902, Norbiton, Surrey, England, UK
- **Died:** 1 March 1986
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Dickinson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q518140, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225512/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30932

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Hamlet*](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Desmond Dickinson (1902–1986) was a British cinematographer. He began working in the film industry as a laboratory assistant at the age of seventeen and became a lighting cameraman in the late 1920s, often on low-budget quota quickies at studios including Gainsborough, Welsh-Pearson and Stoll. During the Second World War he directed morale-boosting documentaries and propaganda films.

Dickinson photographed Laurence Olivier's *Hamlet* (1948), for which he received the International Award for Best Cinematography at the Venice Film Festival. He collaborated with director Anthony Asquith on *The Browning Version* (1951) and *The Importance of Being Earnest* (1952). Among his other credits are *The City of the Dead* (1960), *Murder Most Foul* (1964) and *Murder Ahoy* (1964).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, screenonline.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Hamlet* (1948), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Man from Nowhere* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Tower of Evil* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Nobody Ordered Love* (1972), Director of Photography
- *The Fiend* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Burke & Hare* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Blood Suckers* (1971), Director of Photography
- *The Beast in the Cellar* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Trog* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Baby Love* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Berserk!* (1967), Director of Photography
- *The Alphabet Murders* (1965), Director of Photography
- *A Study in Terror* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Murder Ahoy* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Murder Most Foul* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Cairo* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Sparrows Can't Sing* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Two and Two Make Six* (1962), Director of Photography
- *The Frightened City* (1961), Director of Photography
- *The Devil's Daffodil* (1961), Director of Photography
- *Konga* (1961), Director of Photography
- *The Hands of Orlac* (1960), Director of Photography
- *The City of the Dead* (1960), Director of Photography
- *Horrors of the Black Museum* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Orders to Kill* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Intent to Kill* (1958), Director of Photography
- *The Stowaway* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Action of the Tiger* (1957), Director of Photography
- *Fire Down Below* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Black Tent* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Gentlemen Marry Brunettes* (1955), Cinematography
- *Loves of Three Queens* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Fate of Two Queens* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Carrington V.C.* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Man Between* (1953), Director of Photography
- *The Net* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Meet Me Tonight* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Importance of Being Earnest* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Encore* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The Browning Version* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The Woman in Question* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Morning Departure* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Madness of the Heart* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Rocking Horse Winner* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The History of Mr. Polly* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Code Name: Westward Ho!* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Hamlet* (1948), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)
- *Hungry Hill* (1947), Director of Photography
- *Thursday's Child* (1943), Director of Photography
- *CEMA* (1942), Director
- *Eating Out with Tommy Trinder* (1941), Director
- *Two Days to Live* (1940), Cinematography
- *The Arsenal Stadium Mystery* (1939), Director of Photography
- *The Body Vanished* (1939), Cinematography
- *Eddie Carroll and His Orchestra* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Night Ride* (1937), Director of Photography
- *Sunshine Ahead* (1936), Cinematography
- *Variety* (1935), Director of Photography
- *City of Beautiful Nonsense* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Dick Turpin* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Commissionaire* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Love's Old Sweet Song* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Here's George* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Account Rendered* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The New Hotel* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Callbox Mystery* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Threads* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Detective Lloyd* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Great Gay Road* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Jealousy* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The House of Unrest* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Other People's Sins* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Such Is the Law* (1930), Director of Photography
- *The Guns of Loos* (1928), Director of Photography
- *A Woman Redeemed* (1927), Assistant Camera

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/desmond-dickinson
